holding pattern
A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.
The plane flew in a holding pattern for half an hour because one runway was closed.
pattern
UK /ˈpæ̞t(ə)n/ US /ˈpætɚn/
noun 5verb 5adj 1
Collocations
24(noun.) arrangement of lines, shapes, etc.
ADJ
intricate | geometric | floral
VERB + PATTERN
have
My new curtains have an interesting floral pattern that matches the bedroom walls perfectly.
design, make, print, produce, weave
PREP
in a/the ~
The tiles on the bathroom floor were laid in a geometric pattern.
~ on
The design on her new dress reminded her of the patterns she saw in Morocco.
(noun.) usual manner
ADJ
basic, existing, familiar, normal, predictable, regular, set, traditional
The restaurant follows a regular pattern of offering different specials each day of the week.
changing, ever-changing | complex | main
overall
The overall pattern shows that most customers prefer shopping online these days.
behaviour | employment | weather
VERB + PATTERN
establish, set
follow
The weather this month doesn't follow the usual winter pattern we normally expect.
fall into, fit into
Her behavior started to fit into a clear pattern after we noticed she always called on Fridays.
show
The data showed a clear pattern of increasing sales every summer.
PATTERN + VERB
develop, emerge
A worrying pattern of absenteeism has developed in our office over the past month.
change
PREP
~ for
The usual pattern for successful job interviews involves research and practice beforehand.
~ in
She noticed a helpful pattern in how her teacher explained difficult grammar concepts.
~ of
The government is studying the pattern of traffic flow in the city center.
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